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“Either that he’s trying to line himself up to be a Fox News commentator,” quipped the former Houston mayor in an interview in his Austin campaign office.

But White may have an ulterior motive himself. Should he run a respectable race against Perry in a tough year for Democrats, the insider buzz goes, White would be better positioned to run for the Senate in 2012 when Hutchison’s term is up.

The ex-mayor and Deputy Energy Secretary in the Clinton administration is, stylistically, the antithesis of the blustery Perry.

Balding and soft-spoken, White is an unapologetic technocrat.

“I’m in the solutions business,” he said in the interview. “I’m more of a workhorse than a showhorse.”

But White is also a political realist. He kept his distance from Obama when the president was in the state raising money this summer and acknowledged the difficulties he’s facing due to his party label.

“There are some headwinds because there were people in the Republican Party who spent too much money and incurred too much debt, and there’s people now in the Democratic Party who do that,” he said.

White’s bet is that, even with Obama’s sagging numbers in the state and considerable anger toward Democrats in Washington, Texans will prefer conciliation over combat.

“I think people are ready for somebody who’s less partisan,” he said.

But there’s a reason why no Democrat has won the governorship in Texas since Ann Richards’ victory in 1990. The state’s traditional conservative Democrats – such as Perry, who chaired Al Gore’s 1988 presidential campaign in the state – have moved to the GOP. And, demographically, the African-American vote in the cities and Hispanic vote in the Rio Grande Valley can’t make up for Republican strength in the suburbs and across the state’s rural expanses. So the math is difficult for Democrats to win statewide.

To be successful, White must both appeal to the party’s liberal base and pick off independents and some of those old Democrats who may still support the party at the courthouse level but largely pull the lever for Republicans in Austin and Washington.

“There’s a lot of traditional Democrats who are alive and well,” White said.

But Perry, who has never lost a race in his career, evinced no sign of concern and, in his customary way, dismissed polls that show the race remains competitive.

“At the end of the day, I will leave it to other people to gaze at their belly buttons and look at these issues about [poll] numbers,” he said.

WASHINGTON – A government investigator says 89,000 stimulus payments of $250 each went to people who were either dead or in prison.

The Social Security Administration's inspector general said in a report Thursday that $18 million went to 72,000 people who were dead. The report estimates that a little more than half the payments were returned.

The report said $4.3 million went to a little more than 17,000 prison inmates.

The payments were part of the government's massive economic recovery package enacted in February 2009. Under the law, the $250 payments were sent to about 52 million Social Security recipients and federal retirees.

And another thing. If Texas is the test, Democrats are SOL in November. You guys need to watch all the polls. I live outside the most liberal city in Texas, Austin, and there's no way that a liberal who made his city a sanctuary city, is going to run Texas.

WASHINGTON – A government investigator says 89,000 stimulus payments of $250 each went to people who were either dead or in prison.

The Social Security Administration's inspector general said in a report Thursday that $18 million went to 72,000 people who were dead. The report estimates that a little more than half the payments were returned.

The report said $4.3 million went to a little more than 17,000 prison inmates.

The payments were part of the government's massive economic recovery package enacted in February 2009. Under the law, the $250 payments were sent to about 52 million Social Security recipients and federal retirees.

Jonathan Martin & Politico have it wrong again. No comment needed here. Just consider the source, Martin and Politico. Perry, regardless of some of his shortcomings will spank useless Democrat Bill White big time. Texas is going Republican/Tea Party big time. End of story!!!

I think many of the election polls are way off base, I saw one poll that had the NY governor's within 3 points and the next week Attn Gen Andrew Como had a 15 point lead, many of these polls are not to be believed. Now I don't think Perry is going to have any problem being reelected in Texas of all places, pay no attention to these stupid poll that say Bill White is a contender.

"When you are a leader and you make hard decisions, you **** some people off" Perry says. So! Is that the reason Republicans are ****ed at President Obama? He is acting like a leader, making hard decisions?

Lord, come on down here in Texas and shut my mouth! No, wait a minute Lord! I got something else to say. Our good Gov. Perry has been ****ed at the president from day one, because he hit the ground running, making unpopular decisions to save America from self-destruction, thank to the governor's good buddy George Bush.

The only hard decisions Perry have made in 10 years is to make sure every strand of hair on his head stays in place, even when the wind is blowing 60 miles per hour. I know what I'm talking about. I am a native of Austin,. Texas.

The only hard decisions Perry have made in 10 years is to make sure every strand of hair on his head stays in place, even when the wind is blowing 60 miles per hour. I know what I'm talking about. I am a native of Austin,. Texas